Liquid Sunlight
A New Transformation
Climate change is one
of the biggest threats to humanity, so researchers are looking for renewable
energy sources that are reliable, efficient, and cost-effective.
Sunlight, also known
as solar radiation, refers to the incoming light to the Earth that originated
from the Sun.
In addition to
providing light for Earth, sunlight also acts as a source of radiant heat,
warming the Earth. The contribution of sunlight to the Earth is immense, it is
a major component of the greenhouse effect, is one of Earth's major energy
flows, as well as being a key factor in photosynthesis. The energy stored in
fossil fuels also originates from the Sun, since fossil fuels originate from
dead organisms such as algae
Now talking about the
sustainable era, which is changed according to the requirement and the benefits
of the mankind to survive in an uncertain atmospheric imbalance, this
technological invention will change the course of sustainable environment which
will make life much more easier for the sapiens.
What Liquid Sunlight
is all about?
Liquid sunlight can
be considered as a new form of chemical energy converted and stored in chemical
bonds from solar energy. Solar energy is abundant, and the sun will continue to
shine for the next five billion years. As solar energy converted to liquid fuel
offers so much potential, it’s high time that we start making some smart energy
choices.
As the only energy
input into the ecosphere, solar energy positions itself as one of the most
promising solutions to address the crisis on the environment and climate
change. Efficient capture and storage of solar energy can provide unlimited
renewable power sources and drive the capture and conversion of greenhouse
gases such as CO2 into valuable chemicals. Such an artificial photosynthetic
process presents one of the most important solutions, if not the only one,
toward net-zero carbon emission or even negative emission society in the near
future.
Turning Solar Energy
to Liquid Fuel
Turning solar energy
to liquid fuel is achieved by harnessing one of nature’s basic processes –
photosynthesis. Just like a leaf, liquid sunlight is produced by using the
sunlight to split the components of water. By mimicking the mechanism in
plants, water – two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen –is processed through an
intermediary system. Once split, gases such as hydrogen and oxygen convert into
liquid form, stored and used on-demand.
What future holds for Liquid Sunlight?
In 2017, global CO2 emissions from burning
fossil fuels reached 33 gigatons, twice the natural rate at which CO2 is
absorbed back into land and ocean sinks. Harnessing solar radiation holds the
answer to reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. It is the most abundant
energy resource and could meet humans' future energy needs. The efficient conversion
of solar radiation into stable, energy-dense liquid energy carriers that can
use existing or adapt global supply chains for storage, shipping, and
distribution is the key to large-scale deployment of solar energy at gigaton
levels.
It is the vision of combining the sun's energy
with carbon dioxide and water to produce green liquid fuels. CO2 released on
using these fuels is recycled back into the environment, thus maintaining an
ecologically balanced cycle. Multi-source and multi-purpose alcohols are
optimal candidate fuels. Methanol and ethanol are actionable first targets with
gigaton production potential.
Support from the Ruling Party
India's Prime Minister, Modi, said: “Energy is
a key driver of economic growth. Sustainable, stable and reasonably priced
energy is essential for the fruits of economic development to reach the bottom
of the pyramid. While some of India's rich are buying hybrid cars, many of
India's poor are still buying firewood for cooking. Use of firewood and other
biomass for cooking is a health hazard for rural poor women. It also reduces
their productivity.”
Dependence of other developing Countries for
instance, Africa, the major source of energy is burning coal and wood,
resulting in deforestation, soil erosion, air pollution, ecological imbalance,
and decreased food production. Developing countries, many with growing
populations, need actionable “common man solutions,” including access to cheap
and clean energy to help to combat the hazardous pollution threatening public
health and break the mutually reinforcing downward spiral of human poverty and
environmental degradation.
Liquid Sunlight and Global Supply Chain
About 885 million terawatt hours (TWh) of
energy in the form of solar radiation reach the earth's surface in a year, and,
of this, 256 million TWh strikes land. The latter is more than 1,000 times the
energy humans would consume in 2040.
Enabling a Future Powered by Liquid Sunlight
Drawing inspiration from plants and nature,
liquid sunshine is the vision of a sustainable ecologically balanced energy
system that harnesses the sun's energy to produce green liquid fuels that can
meet the multi-gigaton energy requirements of modern societies. Green fuels can
be produced from geographically diverse regions, thereby enhancing the
accessibility and security of energy supply. In its production and utilization,
CO2 is captured and recycled through the environment.
A One World Approach to Economic Energy Environment
Goals
Achieving the intertwined goals of economic
growth, environmental conservation, and energy security
(economic-energy-environment) are the pressing global challenges of our time.
However, developed and developing countries tend to have different priorities.
For example, economic growth models are different in developed and developing
countries. Developed countries aspire to higher living standards and lifestyles
that require high consumption of energy and resources, while developing
countries are striving for economic growth to provide the basic necessities of
life in order to lift millions out of poverty. Another example is environmental
conservation. Developed countries call for actions to combat climate change and
protect wildlife and natural habitat with focus on GHG emissions, while
developing countries are seeking solutions to redress grave public health
problems caused by urban smog and indoor air pollution created by burning
biomass such as wood, dung, and waste.
Sources:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S254243511830401X
https://www.boldbusiness.com/energy/liquid-sunlight-energy-source/
https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Sunlight
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